Floods hit Bwaise as heavy rains overwhelm Nakamiro channel

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  |  Business owners in Bwaise have spent a good part of the day sweeping and mopping water out of their premises following a heavy downpour last night and early morning.

Apart from the rains that entered their buildings, a large amount of water from Nakamiro channel also found its way into the buildings.

The 16 meter wide and 11km long Nakamiro channel is one of Kampala’s secondary channel with about eight tertiary channels that feed it direct from the communities of Kazo, Bwaise, Kawempe, Kalerwe and Kyebando among other. Nakamiro channel later feeds into the larger Lubigi channel.

However, the heavy rains reportedly over powered the Nakamiro channel causing water to spill into buildings. A stationary owner in Bwaise who preferred anonymity woke up to a flooded room where he operates. His room is a bit raised but this did not stop water from getting into the shop. 

He says they woke up to a more difficult situation today having lived through quite a similar one last evening.  He says water affected extension cables he had left on the ground and some boxes of paper that he found fallen on the ground.

He says whenever they experience heavy rains, the channel floods and water ends up in their structures. He wants KCCA to improve the physical plans in the area by promoting proper housing and drainage in the area so as to cub the effects that come with storm water.  Apart from the channel being small, he says they also have accumulated large amounts of sand and garbage.  

Another business owner only identified as Haula also woke up to a flooded room. Haula runs a clinic and when URN visited her premises at mid-day, she had just opened and cleaned the water before starting to work.

It took her more than two hours to clean the place. She says she was reluctant to open early when she heard from her neighbors that water had broken into her clinic. She later came and sought services of a young boy whom she paid to join her as they cleaned the clinic.

Apart from eating into her working hours, Haula says she incurs an extra cost to buy water and clean the premises. She says the rain water also affects her furniture forcing her to change it often.

Martin Ntege Kaweesa, a scrap dealer in Bwaise was not spared by the rains either. Ntege who runs a shop barely three meters away from Nakamiro channel had his entire compound filled with mud. 

He however says the rains did not affect his business since he surrounded his house with piles of sand bags. Previously, the rains could affect the engine of the crusher machine he uses to crash plastics. Kaweesa says In his four years operating in the area, he has changed the engine of his machine thrice after it had been affected by the rains.

As part of Kampala Infrastructure Institution Development Project -KIIDP II, KCCA has plans to expand key drainage channels including Lubigi and Nakamiro channel. 

According to KCCA, a total of 3.2 km will be expanded and lined with concrete from Kazo Angola to Lubigi. The channel will have an average width of 7m and there will be provisions for pedestrians to cross the channel safely.

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URN